Hagel: Troops near 'breaking point'

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned on Monday that U.S. troops are “close to the breaking point,” after many deployments — and Congress risks worsening the situation if it doesn’t help the Pentagon with its budget.

“Our people are strong and resilient after 12 years of war, but they are under stress — and so are the institutions that support them,” Hagel told the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the group’s annual convention in Louisville, Ky.

Story Continued Below

“Last week at Fort Bragg’s Soldier and Family Assistance Center, I met a first sergeant who told me that in Afghanistan, he froze up and became overwhelmed by anxiety. He couldn’t command. He had lost his ability to command,” Hagel said. “I asked him how many deployments he had. He told me he was on his fifth consecutive combat tour when this happened. When you push human beings this hard, they break. Some people have been pushed beyond the breaking point.”

“Strengthening readiness will ultimately demand that we address unsustainable growth in personnel costs, which represent half of the department’s budget and crowds out vital spending on training and modernization,” he said. “If trends continue, we could ultimately be left with a much smaller force that is well-compensated but poorly trained and equipped. That would be unacceptable.”

Congress, he said, must be reasonable.

“Opposing, for political reason or any other reason, every reform or cost-savings measure is shortsighted and irresponsible, and it does not help our men and women in uniform — especially when these savings can be used to fund readiness and modernization,” Hagel said. “This will require Congress joining DOD in a partnership of difficult choices, priorities and decisions. Not easy. It will take some courage.”

Members of Congress have so far blocked most of the Pentagon’s cost-saving proposals, including its requests for smaller pay increases, higher health care fees and base closures. Congress also has not been able to end sequestration, which Hagel said was already hurting readiness.

“During a visit to Fort Bragg last week, I heard from infantrymen whose units were short on training rounds for their weapons,” he said. “Each of the services have curtailed activities — flying hours have been reduced, ships are not sailing and Army training has been halted. These kinds of gaps and shortages could lead to a force that is inadequately trained, ill-equipped and unable to fulfill required missions.”